


Lego House

by forevertrappedinthecloset



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-11 21:58:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3334310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forevertrappedinthecloset/pseuds/forevertrappedinthecloset
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for SwanQueen week. AU Blind Date. Post midseason finale. It's half blind date, and half reunion for Emma and Regina. The Queen has spent a long time away from her son and the Savior, and she has finally found her way back home, if only Emma would remember.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lego House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm out of touch  
> I'm out of love  
> I'll pick you up when you're getting down  
> And out of all these things I've done  
> I think I love you better now
> 
> \- Ed Sheeran, Lego House

Emma checked her reflection in the mirror for what must have been the thousandth time. She moved her blonde hair back over her shoulder, preferring it there, at least for now. It would be different again soon.

"Mom?" Henry ran into the room. "The TV's doing that thing where it turns black and white again."

Emma rolled her eyes and turned toward her son, and just as she did every time, felt the small jolt that pierced her heart. He was already eleven, growing up so fast. A momentary bout of guilt washed over her as she remembered the day he had been born, how she had almost given him away. Instinctively, she moved towards him, wrapping her arm around his shoulder and leading him back into the living room.

"Why are you dressed up?" he asked, his eyes moving over the tight black dress that clung to her skin.

"I'm meeting a friend tonight," Emma answered as she got down on her knees next to the TV. She nearly fell, but Henry caught her arm with a smile. With a small shake of her head, Emma turned away from the smile that reminded her of his father, banging her fist into the bottom of the TV. The screen flickered, and the color flooded back into the screen. "There you go, kid," Emma said with a groan as she stood up.

"Thanks!" Henry jumped onto the couch. "Is Joey coming over?"

"No, I - uh - I thought you could take care of yourself tonight." Emma saw the excitement spark in his eyes, and he sat up straight.

"Really?"

"Really," Emma knelt down in front of him, once again taking more time then usual, "but there are conditions."

"Of course there are," he rolled his eyes.

"Hey," Emma smiled, shoving him lightly. "You are in bed by 11. You do not, under any circumstances, open the door, and you stay away from the porn channels."

Henry laughed but nodded, his eyes still aglow. "Okay, it's a deal," he said, sinking back into the couch cushions.

"Now I need to go finish getting ready. I'm leaving in half an hour."

Emma moved to the door and grabbed her high heels from the shoe rack, slipping them on. She knew she needed the practice; it had been so long since she went on a date, let alone a blind date. If she had a father, he would be lecturing her endlessly right now.

She rose a few inches higher, took one step, and stumbled, her hand catching the wall. Henry turned to laugh at her, his head popping up over the couch.

"You're not meeting a friend," he smiled. "Those are your date shoes."

Emma huffed, brushing the hair from her eyes. Damn that kid and his observational skills.

"Who's the guy?"

"It's - um - it's not really a guy," she scratched the back of her neck. Why did she always have to spill everything to Henry? He didn't need to know about her dating life.

He thought for a moment before muttering, "It's a girl?"

Emma nodded slowly. "Yeah, she's one of Eddy's friends, I guess. I don't know. I just thought I would go for it. When I was younger, I went out with - you know what? Never mind."

Henry shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the TV. "She's probably really cool, then," he said. "Eddy's friends are always really cool."

With an internal sigh of relief, Emma muttered her agreement. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" she asked.

Henry's eyes stayed glued to the screen, but he said with complete sincerity, "Mom, I'm 11. Just tell her to bribe me with candy and comic books, and we'll be best friends. Stop worrying about me, and go so I can watch porn."

Emma wobbled her way towards him and placed a soft kiss in his hair before making her way back to her bedroom.

* * *

 

Regina knew she shouldn't be here. If the two idiots ever found out, she would be killed on the spot. Hell, even more threatening, she could kill herself for how reckless she was being. Being here was foolish and stupid and absolutely insane, but she couldn't stand the hole in her heart anymore.

She could have stopped herself at any point in this long, tiring process, but she didn't want to. It had all come so easily to her; it was almost instinct. As soon as they had found their way to New York, it had been almost second nature to her to search the Yellow Pages, learn as much as she could about Emma's life, befriend one of Emma's friends, and set up this blind date. She had been confused and startled when Emma had agreed, but that was worn off by her eagerness. She was telling herself that she was just eager to see her son, to get away from Snow, Charming, and their righteous possy of do-gooders; yet she knew there were other reasons lingering there, feelings she had shoved away.

Her legs crossed under the table impatiently. _She would be late_ , Regina thought, her heart barely invested in the insult. She glanced at her phone. At least it had only been ten minutes.

But another five minutes passed, then another, and she started panicking. She probably wasn't coming. Regina could sit here for hours, and Emma would never show up. It had been like this in the beginning. Why should the second try be any different? Why had she expected different?

She didn't know why it hurt so much; where it had once filled her heart with anger and her mind with thoughts of revenge, now it only made her heart shatter further and her mind foolishly force her to stay in her place.

Another two minutes, and the door swung open with a bang that startled the overly-composed people eating at their tables. Regina stood immediately, her jaw hanging wide open, making no effort to close it.

It was Emma. Emma Swan. Emma Swan wearing a dress, a dress that seemed to fit her effortlessly. Emma Swan, blonde hair wet and sticking to her shoulders. Emma Swan, searching the faces in the restaurant desperately. Emma Swan, eyes like her mother's, gaze falling on Regina and lingering there. Emma Swan, the most beautiful woman Regina had ever seen, who had driven away with their son in that horrendous yellow Bug as the purple cloud enveloped her. Emma Swan, who Regina had feared she would never seen again. Emma Swan was standing ten feet in front of her. Now nine ... eight ... seven ... six ... five ... four ... three ... two ... one...

"Are you Regina Mills? Please tell me you are," she sighed in exhaustion.

When Regina remained still, her eyes now starting to blur, Emma seemed to assume the worst. "Okay, never mind. Sorry to bother you." She turned away, taking a step towards the door and mumbling under her breath.

And that did it. Regina was not about to let her go again. She cleared her head, wiped underneath her eyes, and called out, "Wait! Emma!" Just like that they were on a first-name basis after so many Miss Swan's and Madam Mayor's. Although to be fair, Emma didn't know about that.

Emma turned sharply, her eyes surprised when Regina said, "It's me."

She looked more hesitant now, and Regina knew she would have to do a little reassuring. "Sorry, I just - Eddy said you were easy on the eyes, but I didn't expect - " _Oh great_ , Regina scolded herself, _way to go for the gold, Your Majesty_.

Emma's cheeks turned pink, and Regina gave her a shy smile, still battling the heart attacks and inner lighting strikes. She pulled Emma's chair out for her before once again taking a seat.

"Sorry I'm late," Emma muttered as soon as she sat down. "My car's in the shop, and I had to walk in the rain."

"No, you're not late," Regina said immediately, hating the guilty look that crossed over Emma's features. "I was just early."

Emma laughed quietly, her eyes traveling down the table. "Thanks, but you don't need to cover my ass. I was late like I always am."

Regina returned her laugh. "I think I can live with that. I wish Eddy would have given you my number. I would have picked you up."

"No, it's okay. I've had to walk in worse."

A waiter approached their table almost out of nowhere. If she was being honest, Regina had almost forgotten there was anyone else in the world. "Can I get you ladies anything to drink?" he asked.

"Um..." Emma looked at the menu. "I'm guessing you don't have hot chocolate..." She looked up at him curiously, and Regina fought the expression that was trying to work its way onto her face.

The waiter shook his head, and Emma asked for water. Regina thought for a moment before requesting a bottle of wine.

The waiter smiled and left as Emma lifted her eyebrow playfully. "You're really dreading this, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry...?"

"I know I haven't been out in a while, but I would hope I'm entertaining enough that you don't need a whole bottle of wine."

"Oh!" Regina nodded as she caught on, her mind hurriedly racing to find a comeback, but it had been so much easier before. "I just thought you might want more than water," she shrugged. "You seem to have had plenty of it."

"Oh ha ha," Emma shook her head, running her hand through her sopping wet hair. "Do you mind if I go freshen up?" she asked.

"No, by all means," Regina smiled kindly. "I think the bathroom is down the hall." She pointed to her left and watched Emma depart the scene, doing all she could not to look at her ass.

As soon as she was out of sight, Regina leaned back in her chair and wiped her hands over her eyes. She was in way over her head. This was completely unlike her; since when had talking to Emma been so easy or so entertaining? Regina knew she had to tone down the flirting. There was something so wrong about doing it when Emma didn't know the truth. But she couldn't help it. Everything she had felt since saying goodbye to the Savior had come rushing back to her the moment Emma had stepped in the room.

But she was Regina; she could control herself.

* * *

 

As soon as Emma entered the bathroom, she pulled out her phone and dialed Henry's emergency phone. It rang three times before he picked up.

"Mom? What are you doing?"

"I'm just checking in."

"Mom, I'm totally fine. I swear."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Did you lock the door?"

"Yes."

"Did you eat yet?"

"No, but we have leftovers, so I don't have to turn on the oven." He sighed impatiently, and Emma knew she deserved it, but that didn't stop her worrying. "Really, mom, I'm okay. How's the date going?"

Emma smiled helplessly, leaning against the bathroom wall. "Great so far. I was late."

"You always are. Now hang up."

"Fine," Emma's grin spread. "I'll see you later."

"Okay mom. Have fun."

"And Henry?" Emma stopped him before he could hang up.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"Love you too."

Emma heard him hang up on the other end and turned to the hand dryer on the wall, seriously debating using it on her hair.

She sighed and pressed the button, ducking underneath it and feeling a blast of warm air. It was strange how nice it felt after the cold downpour outside, but she felt very out of place, even more than she already had in a restaurant as nice as this. She wondered if this was the type of place Regina normally came to, and if so, what would she say if she found out Emma normally couldn't afford places like this?

She seemed really nice so far. There was definitely something between them, though Emma couldn't explain it. It was something she had felt when her eyes had first found the chocolate brown of Regina's. Something inside of her had stirred, and she could have sworn she remembered standing in the middle of the road with Regina clutching her hand. But she decided it was nothing because what else could it be?

She knew she had to go back out there; she didn't want Regina to think she had ditched her. Emma tousled her hair, trying to make it look more presentable. Her idea had worked, much to her surprise. Her hair was still pretty damp, but it had stopped dripping. With a roll of her eyes, Emma left the bathroom and wobbled her way back down the hall.

Regina was waiting patiently at the table, sipping the wine that had arrived while Emma was gone.

"Okay, I'm significantly less wet now," Emma said as she sat down.

"I'm glad," Regina smiled. "Do you know what you want to eat?"

"What do they have?"

Regina glanced at the menu for a moment. "I'm pretty sure most of this is French, but they do have grilled cheese." Emma could have sworn she saw a glint of something flash in Regina's eyes, but there was no way she could know that grilled cheese was Emma's favorite.

"Do you know what you're getting?"

"Whatever you have," Regina shrugged.

Emma nodded, her eyes surveying the menu curiously. She honestly had no idea what half these words meant.

Regina was watching her, a half-amused, half-guilty look on her face. After a moment, she muttered cautiously, "This isn't your type of thing, is it?"

"What?"

"This," Regina looked around the room. "You don't do this very often, do you?"

Emma stayed quiet, indiscernible noises coming from her throat. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, clearly hoping she hadn't offended Emma. "I just think it's quite boring. I'm used to that, but something tells me you aren't." _Oh_ , Emma thought, _that was probably the smoothest recovery I've ever heard_. Regina leaned forward over the table and whispered, "We can get out of here if you want." There was a playful smile across her face, her eyes aglow with adventure, and Emma suddenly wanted nothing more than to go wherever this woman would take her.

"Where are we going?" Emma asked quietly, mimicking her actions so their hands brushed together on the table. Regina's eyes shifted down slowly, seeming to hesitate for a moment; but when she looked back up, the mischievous gaze had reappeared. "Somewhere horrible," she said with a wink that nearly sent Emma to the floor.

"Horrible sounds pretty good right now," Emma replied quietly. _Damn this chick was good_. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, and she hardly cared.  
  
Regina put a 20 on the table and stood up, sliding her arms through the sleeves of her black jacket. Emma copied her, moving towards the door when Regina let her go first. She almost stumbled for a moment, but Regina's hand found her back and steadied her, causing Emma to take a sudden, sharp intake of breath that never escaped as Regina's hand stayed there until they reached the door.

The two women stepped out under the canopy, the rain still pattering heavily above them. Emma almost stepped forward, but Regina's hand slid down to her wrist. "I'll pull the car around," she smiled.

"I can walk," Emma shrugged. "That way we're both wet." She heard the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. Her cheeks turned scarlet, and Regina was staring at the ground, hands shoved in her pockets, trying to hide her smirk.

"Then by all means, Miss Swan," Regina locked Emma's eyes in her gaze again. Emma's heart contracted violently, and Regina's words echoed rapidly in her mind, bouncing off the walls. She felt very light-headed and nearly fell over again, but Regina caught her, concern written all over her face, and one arm wrapped securely around her waist. "Emma?" she asked quietly, her voice filled with worry.

"I'm fine," Emma mumbled, shaking her head as she stood up straight.

"Maybe we should get you home..."

"No," Emma protested, and she bravely slid her hand into Regina's. The other woman looked startled and almost frightened, but she didn't pull away. "I'm having a good time. Really. I'm fine."

Regina nodded slowly, intertwining their fingers after a moment of thought. Emma was surprised at how well their hands fit together, how smooth and long her fingers were. She was pulled forward into the rain, but Emma didn't mind. She just held tightly to Regina's hand, and after half a minute, they reached a black Mercedes. Emma took a minute to be impressed before opening the door and practically jumping into the car. Regina followed her a second later.

"So where do we go from here?" Emma asked.

"I'm not sure," Regina replied as she started the car. "I'm not really familiar with the area. Do you have any ideas?"

Emma smiled. "I have a few. But I - " She stopped as her phone rang abruptly, filling the car with country music. Emma glanced at Regina, but it was Henry. Of course she was going to pick up.

"Hello?" Emma answered, her heart racing, automatically fearing the worst.

"Mom?" Henry's voice was quiet.

"What's up, Henry?" Emma could have sworn Regina stiffened beside her.

"Can you - uh - can you come home now?"

"Is everything okay? Are you hurt?"

"I watched a scary movie," he mumbled.

Emma put her head in her hand, leaning into the window.

"Henry, it's just a movie. You know it's not real."

"I know. I just - please mom?"

Emma glanced at Regina, who was fixating on the front window. "I'll be there in five minutes. Will you make it?"

"I think so."

"All right. See you soon, kid."

Emma ended the call with a frustrated sigh.

"Everything okay?" Regina's voice shook.

"Yeah, it's my - um - my son watched a scary movie."

"Henry," she said blatantly, still staring out of the window.

"Yeah ... look I think I need to get home."

"Of course," she nodded, pulling out of the spot. "Which way?"

Emma directed her back to her apartment, though she could feel the tension in the air. This was it, wasn't it? Regina didn't want to have to deal with a kid.

"Some date, huh," Emma mumbled sarcastically as Regina turned the car off.

"What?" Regina asked, finally turning her head to look at Emma.

"I blew it, didn't I? Telling you I'm a mom is third date material, right?"

Her eyes softened immediately. "No," she insisted gently. "I would love to see you again."

"Really?" Emma asked. "I can't walk in my heels; I'm kind of broke; and I have a son. That doesn't bother you?"

Regina looked confused. "Of course not. Is it supposed to?"

"I don't know," Emma replied bashfully. "It's bothered people before."

All of a sudden, Regina's fingers were under her chin, and she was looking into her eyes again. She didn't say anything, and Emma found herself moving forward slowly. Her hand moved to grip the collar of Regina's jacket and her eyes found Regina's lips. Regina moved forward for a moment too, and Emma could feel her breath on her face. She had barely brushed their lips together when Regina pulled back, her hand over Emma's heart. "You should - um - Henry - he needs you."

"Yeah..." Emma mumbled in disappointment. "So ... is this good night then?"

"Actually, I was wondering if I could come in," she said, her voice hesitant.

"Uh ... I don't know. I don't know how bad he is..." It was moments like this when she really wished she had sent Henry to Joey's.

"Of course," Regina mumbled with a smile that was just a little too fake.

Emma couldn't help it. "But if you really want to..."

* * *

 

Regina had told herself she wouldn't do this. No matter what she did tonight, she had promised she wouldn't do this. But here she was: standing at Emma's door, waiting to meet their son.

Emma turned the key in the door, pushing it open and saying loudly, "Henry? It's me! Don't shoot!" She took a step into the apartment, sliding her heels off and inviting Regina inside.

She took a very nervous step forward and allowed Emma to take off her coat and hang it up, shivering when Emma's fingers touched her shoulders.

"Henry!" Emma called again. She turned to Regina, a look of embarrassment across her face. "I'm sorry. Can you give me a minute?"

Regina nodded. "Take as much time as you need."

She saw the smile split onto Emma's lips, only now realizing how little she had seen it and how much she had missed it.

Regina lingered for a few minutes before stepping further into the surprisingly clean apartment. She saw the pictures that filled the living room: Henry posing with a baseball bat, his batting helmet too big for his head; Henry on his first day of school, his eyes eager and scared; Emma holding baby Henry while he slept. Her heart ached in her chest. She remembered these pictures as if they were own life. And they were. She had given Emma her own memories after all, tweaking them a bit to spare her the hurt feelings.

Regina remembered that baseball game: his first home run. She remembered the hug he gave her before he had entered Mary Margaret's classroom, the tears she had kissed from his cheeks. She remembered the way he slept in her arms, tiny and peaceful. She remembered this night too. If she was correct, and she knew she was, he had been watching The Exorcist.

Now filled with a desire to subdue her own curiosity, Regina crept cautiously down the hallway to where a small streak of light was shining onto the floor through the crack of the open door.

She stopped a few feet away, so her shadow could not be seen, but she could hear their voices.

"I'm sorry I ruined your date," Henry mumbled, the sound of his voice enough to cause Regina to slide down the wall, hand over her mouth, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Don't be sorry, Henry. You are always going to be the most important person in this world to me. You know that, right?"

"I know, but ... I shouldn't have watched that movie."

"No," Emma laughed. "Probably not. You know how you were the first time you saw anything like that."

"I know. I just - I thought I could do it this time. Jake watches scary movies all the time, and he's one year younger than me. I'm older; I'm not supposed to get scared."

This conversation was starting to sound all too familiar to Regina. She could easily fill in the rest by memory.

"Everyone gets scared, Henry. Some people get scared by what's real, and some people gets scared by what's not, and there's nothing wrong with any of it."

"I just want to be brave, mom."

"Henry, you are brave. Everyone knows it. Why do you try so hard to prove yourself?"

"Because I want to be a hero, and heroes have to be brave."

"Well, I don't care what anyone else says. You're my hero," Emma said softly, and Regina mouthed the words along with her.

It was quiet for a while, and Regina walked quietly to the living room, knowing that Emma would stay until he fell asleep. She settled down on the couch, checking her phone. She had a message from Snow, no doubt making sure she wasn't doing exactly what she was doing. But she ignored it, counting down the minutes, knowing precisely how long it took Henry to fall asleep when he was scared.

She did her best to compose herself, but she didn't know what she was thinking. This was much more than she had been prepared to handle. She wished she could see Henry, wrap him in her arms until the world faded away. But she wasn't there yet. Just a little longer. She had waited for so long already. What were a few more days? Apart from a continuation of her self-inflicted torture, of course.

She heard the door close behind her and hurriedly wiped under her eyes, sitting up straight and busying herself on her phone.

Emma walked around her and sat down on the couch. Regina slid her phone back into her purse and turned towards her date. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, he's asleep. I - " But she faltered upon seeing the expression Regina had done a poor job of hiding. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Regina smiled, the movement causing the last tear that lingered on her eyelid to trickle slowly down her cheek. Emma lifted her hand, holding it cautiously in midair, and then she slid her thumb gently across Regina's cheek.

"Tell me what's wrong," she said, and though it was a command, it was the tone in her voice that let Regina know it was a request.

"I - um - " Regina stared resolutely at her hands, clenched together on her lap. "I had a son once." And there it was, hanging in the air.

That had clearly not been what Emma expected. She shifted in her seat, her eyes going wider for a second, and then they were back to normal and Regina continued.

"He would have been about Henry's age now."

"What happened to him?" Emma asked quietly.

"I had to give him away."

"Why?" Emma's voice was hard, yet quiet, her eyes searching Regina's.

"I had to. I had a job to do, and the woman I - the woman I loved," the last word fell unintentionally from her lips, but Emma was clueless, so it didn't matter, "she couldn't come with me." Regina closed her eyes tightly. "We couldn't be together. If she stayed with me, her and my son would have suffered, so I told her to leave. It's been so long; I'm sure they've forgotten me."

"No one could forget you, Regina," she mumbled softly.

"It's a bit more complicated than that," Regina muttered. "I just - I wanted to give them their best chance, even if it wasn't with me."

Emma's hand moved to cover hers, and they finally stopped fidgeting. "I almost gave Henry away too. I can't imagine what my life would be without him. I can't pretend to know what you're feeling, but I almost did." She smiled reassuringly. "Regina, my son talks a lot about princes and princesses and heroes. I try to be someone he can look up to who's actually real, but I don't know. Sometimes, I wish he had a mother like you, a hero."

Regina's hands were shaking as Emma looked at her. She could feel the magic that sparked whenever she felt like this, the magic that Emma gave her, more powerful than any magic she had ever known.

"Regina..." Emma whispered.

God, she loved the sound of her name on Emma's lips. She had heard it only a few times before, but it had never been like this.

"I know you're in the bit of an emotional crisis right now, but if it's okay, could I - "

Regina cut her off, her hands seizing Emma's face, kissing her like she had never kissed anyone before. Magic rose like a fire inside her, and when Emma's hand slid into Regina's hair, fingers squeezing tightly, Regina could hardly hold it back anymore. Her fingertips were warming up as they brushed against the Savior's face gently; her mind was racing as she pictured all those days in her office or the Sheriff's station; her heart was beating so God damn fast she could hear it in her ears, the black spots invisible, even if it was only for these few moments.

Emma pulled back first, taking quick breaths, her hand locked in Regina's hair, and she bent forward and pressed their foreheads together. "I can't - Henry - " she panted.

Regina nodded, silently thanking her for thinking of what she had not. "I - I should go," she whispered.

"I know. It is kind of late..." Emma paused. "I just..."

"Just what?" Regina asked carefully, a small smile playing on her lips as she locked eyes with Emma.

"Just..." Emma leaned in again and pressed their lips together gently one more time. This time it was slow and beautiful, filled with a quiet longing instead of rushed desires. Regina was the one left breathless now, her eyes shut tightly as she gripped Emma's arm, secretly admiring the way it flexed when Emma's fingers moved through her hair.

"Okay," Emma pulled back farther, her cheeks pink and her smile wide. "I - uh - I don't think I can do that again. I mean we hardly know each other."

Regina fell back against the arm of the couch, her hand rising to her hair. "I guess we'll have to fix that as soon as we can then," she laughed, sitting up again.

"Are you free tomorrow?"

"I'm always free," Regina replied eagerly. "But I really should go."

Emma stood up with a smile that was still filled with the tiniest bit of disappointment. "Give me your phone," she demanded.

Regina hesitated, knowing what picture was her background and the alarm that might ensue if Emma saw her son. "Give me yours," Regina rebutted, and Emma raised her eyebrows and tossed it to her while she went to the coat closet to grab Regina's jacket.

Regina typed her number in Emma's contacts and stood up in the regal manner she could never unlearn, walking over to where Emma was standing. She took her coat from Emma's outstretched hands, putting it on in one swift motion as her eyes caught sight of what could only be described as her favorite article of clothing. She reached around Emma and yanked the familiar red leather jacket from the closet. "What's this?" she asked playfully.

"It's - it's nothing. I bought that when I was having a bad day just to feel, I don't know, badass. I haven't worn it since." Her cheeks were scarlet now, and Regina fought the urge to kiss her again. "It's kind of stupid, huh?"

"No, no," Regina protested. "I like it." She bit her lip before asking, "Will you wear it tomorrow? Maybe with a pair of jeans and a tank top? Something simple?"

"Oh, so you don't like this?" Emma gestured to her dress.

"I love it," she smiled. "I just want you to be comfortable; I can only catch you so many times." But Regina knew that wasn't true. She would catch Emma forever.

Emma crossed her arms and nodded with a crooked grin. "Okay, I'll see what I can do for you, Your Highness."

Regina almost fell over, but she kept as much composure as she could. "Your Highness..." She leaned forward, placing her lips on the skin near Emma's ear, whispering seductively, "I could get used to that." She pulled away then, throwing in a wink merely for the pleasure of seeing Emma's stunned expression.

She walked around Emma and opened the door, smiling when the other woman spun just to follow her with her eyes. "Sleep well, Miss Swan," Regina smiled over her shoulder. "Call me when I can stop by."

"I'll get up early," Emma whispered. She didn't know that Regina knew the true gravity of this statement. But she did, and as she closed the door to the beautiful sound of Emma's voice, she knew it was worth whatever wrath she would face from Emma's mother.

"Good night, Regina."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're crashing  
> Into the unknown  
> We're lost in this  
> But it feels like home
> 
> \- Lifehouse, First Time

"Good night, Regina," Emma whispered, pushing the door shut lightly, giving the knob one last twist. She lingered by it for half a second, part of her hoping Regina would knock it back open and kiss her again. The last time she had been kissed like that she'd ended up with a baby. Although she figured she was safe from that with Regina.

Maybe she had just forgotten what first dates felt like, but Emma was certain she had never known a feeling like this, not even with Neal. There was something so familiar about Regina, as if she had known her her whole life. It made her feel safe; although there was certainly a dangerous air about her. If Emma was being honest with herself, she found it very sexy. It was the way Regina held herself, like she was a queen, and everyone in the room ought to bow down at her feet. Emma would have to pretend she hadn't noticed all that. Nobody paid that much attention on a first date, did they?

But Emma knew how to observe people, and it was all she could do to keep herself from watching the way Regina's eyebrows rose when she was being playful or when she was suspicious, and the subtle little difference between the two. She definitely had not noticed the way Regina crossed her legs every time she sat down, or the commanding nature that lurked quietly in her voice, or her lips. She definitely hadn't noticed her lips, or the rough scar she felt when they had kissed.

With a pink hue clearly visible on her cheeks, Emma finally locked the door and smiled to herself, shaking her head. She wanted nothing more than to fall asleep right now, wake up, and call Regina the moment she opened her eyes. But she knew she would not be able to fall asleep for some time. There was something stirring inside of her, something she didn't understand, something she mistook for excitement.

But those who were wiser knew it as magic.

* * *

 

Regina's heels clicked against the stairs as she slowly climbed up to her least favorite place on Earth. She took it one step at a time, avoiding what awaited her for as long as possible, her mind longing to focus on better things, on Emma.

The days following their separation had been more than difficult. She had often heard that once you let something go, it was that much easier to fall in love with it, and much harder to live with that love. And she could easily testify that that was the truth.

It had started with the grieving of her son. Every night when she closed her eyes, Regina could hear his words: "You're not a villain. You're my mom." It had taken so long. All she wanted since the moment she looked into Henry's eyes was to hear those words, to hear that someone believed in her. And even though she had done little to deserve it, especially upon Emma's return into his life, she still had longed for it. Of course it had been in their moment of separation that Regina had finally redeemed herself, finally earned his forgiveness. That was just the stroke of luck she was given.

It was in the middle of this grief, however, that she realized something far more upsetting: she missed the Savior. She missed the playful comments, the sense of leadership, and even the strange friendship they had developed.

It had taken her some time, longer than she cared to admit, to realize exactly what she was feeling. It had taken her many nights of confusion and frustration and denial before she was finally able to accept that what she was feeling was love, a love so strong it drove her completely out of her mind.

Regina arrived at the rusty metal door, ritualistically glancing down the dim halls on either side before twisting the knob, and slipping inside, closing it lightly behind her.

The apartment was poorly lit already, and in the dark, it was almost impossible to discern anything at all. Regina took off her heels first, setting them beside Snow's on the rug she could hardly see. Then she made her way slowly forward. She had grown accustomed to finding her way in the dark after all those nights trying to get close to Emma and Henry. She moved effortlessly around the edge of the sofa. What she missed this time, however, normally was not there. Regina side-stepped the recliner but stumbled over the feet that rested on the ground. She caught herself on the wall, her hand scraping the corner.

An exhausted groan sounded to her left, and a lamp flickered on to reveal Belle, rubbing under her tired eyes.

Regina caught her breath, knowing if it had been Snow, she would have had to endure another lecture that kept her from her bed. "Regina?" she mumbled, sinking back into the chair. Her feet were sprawled out in front of her, her head resting in the crook between the back and the arm.

"What are you doing, Belle?" she whispered, inspecting the small cut on her ring finger.

"I fell asleep waiting for you," she yawned, her eyes landing on Regina. "Snow wasn't happy."

"I'm sure she wasn't," she shrugged.

"Where have you been going?" Belle raised her eyebrows.

Regina knew she should tell her; she knew if she could tell anyone, she could tell Belle. The two had formed an unusual friendship after Regina accidentally burst and revealed her true feelings for Emma. Belle had been there for her when she had no one else, and Regina had tried to return the favor when Belle grieved for Rumple. Her misery came around every once and while, and Regina could tell it was one of those nights, the puffiness under her blue eyes giving her away. Maybe it wasn't the best time to drop her news on the poor girl.

"I can't sleep here," Regina shifted, not entirely lying. "So I go out and stretch my legs, get some fresh air."

Belle looked suspicious for a moment, but she must have been too tired to argue or question Regina further. She pushed herself off the chair so that she was only a few inches from Regina, their eyes locked together, and smiled softly. "You'll see them again, Regina. Just hold on a little longer." Belle's hand came to rest on her shoulder, and chocolate brown eyes fell to the floor to hide the pink on her cheeks and the small smile of hope that grew on her lips for Regina knew that even though she would see Emma tomorrow, she wouldn't be Emma, not the Emma Regina had fallen in love with.

Belle's hand dropped back to her side as the brunette released a monstrous yawn. "Come on," Regina laughed. "You should get to bed."

"I should have been in bed hours ago, but somebody kept me waiting," her eyebrows rose playfully, and Regina dropped her head with a small, guilty laugh.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I'm sorry," the queen offered, unexpected sincerity flowing from her.

Belle turned off the lights suddenly, and Regina could not see her reaction but knew it must be one of surprise. Sure enough, the first words out of her mouth were "What's gotten into you?"

Regina shook her head before realizing that Belle would not be able to see her. "Nothing," she said after a moment.

They turned right after the bathroom, closing the bedroom door behind them and sinking into their beds. Belle did not ask Regina anything else, quickly falling back into her Rumple-filled slumber. But Regina knew her lie. The answer was not "nothing;" it was Emma. She stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, her mind on the Savior until she finally fell asleep.

* * *

 

For the first time since Henry had grown old enough to sleep in, Emma was up before her alarm went off.

The minute her eyes popped open, she felt the familiar excitement rise within her, the kind of excitement that Regina had brought her, the kind of excitement that made her legs swing over the side of her bed and her hand lunge for her phone.

There were no voicemails or text messages waiting for her, but to be fair, it was seven in the morning.

 _It was seven in the morning_ , Emma thought with an inner groan, surely too early to call someone you had gone on only one date with.

She stood up with a shiver, the cold that came with the sunrise greeting her short-clad legs.

Emma moved towards the shower, longing for the warm water and a distraction from her phone.

She took her time getting ready, and it was 7:26 by the time she actually got in the shower, the chills instantly leaving her body. She ran her fingers slowly through blonde curls as she tried to figure out which shampoo would smell the most appealing. Her choices were limited due to her long relationship-free streak, so it felt almost childish to grab the Ocean Mist shampoo from the built-in shelf. But now that she had started, she couldn't stop. What normally took her ten minutes took her 23, and when Emma wrapped a towel securely around her waist, she saw the flashing red light that meant she had a missed call waiting on her phone.

Her heart leapt, wondering if she should get dressed first. But of course, upon further inspection, Emma discovered the call had not been from Regina but from the police station.

She'd been a cop since Henry was six. Emma had needed to find some way to repent for her crimes, and though it was ridiculous, she considered this her way of getting back at Neal and ensuring that he would never bother them.

She put the phone on speaker while she pulled on her jeans. "Hey Emma, it's Jerry - "

"No shit," Emma muttered under her breath.

"Listen, I'm gonna need you to come in today. Eddy will fill you in when you get here."

Emma drew her heavy, black belt through the loopholes of her jeans as the message ended. Jerry never took up much time, always asking the same thing.

With a sigh, she untwisted her bra straps and went into her bedroom, searching her dresser drawers for a shirt to wear. Her fingers lingered on an old white tank top, holding it up a few inches above the others and thinking about what Regina had requested last night. Not that it mattered. She had to work now. But she still laid it across her sheets.

Emma knew she would have to call Regina and cancel their plans, but when she picked up her phone, she wasn't sure she could do it.

And so she stood there - disappointed, frightened, and shirtless - staring at Regina's name, thumb hovering over the call button until she finally pressed it.

It dialed only twice, nowhere near long enough for Emma to attempt to decide what to say.

"Hello?"

Emma flushed red at the sound of her voice, a smile helplessly working its way onto her lips as she remained dumbfounded.

"Hello?" Regina repeated.

Emma cleared her throat. "Uh - h - hi," she stuttered.

"Emma!" She exclaimed, and the blonde was pleased to hear the smile in her voice, and a little proud that Regina had already memorized the sound of her voice. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" Regina teased.

"Look, I - uh - I know I said we could see each other this morning, but I got called in to the station."

"Oh." The excitement in Regina's voice fell suddenly, and guilt wound its way through Emma's stomach.

"I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do," she explained hurriedly, launching into a completely improvised speech. "Here's the thing. The chief called me in, and he usually only does that when he really needs me, and he called about ten minutes ago, so he'll be expecting me as soon as possible, and I don't have my car, so I have to go right now. But I haven't eaten yet, and I really want to just take you out for breakfast because I really like you, and I feel guilty kissing you when I hardly know anything about you, but now I don't have any time, and I should probably hang up and start getting ready to go, but I don't want to because I'm talking to you, and I like talking to you and - "

"Take a breath, Emma, dear," Regina laughed softly from the other end, and Emma did as she was told. "Now before you launch into another explanation, please know that I completely understand. Of course you should go. While I am quite flattered you've already thought so many things about me and surprised that they all seem to be good thoughts, I must ask that you hang up so you can go protect the citizens of New York from its rampant plague of vigilantes. I assure you I am not as interesting to meet as half the people you could encounter in a day's work."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I don't know about interesting, but I can guarantee you're 12 times less of a pain in my ass."

"I'm glad you think so, Miss Swan. Now go to work before I am forced to make you."

Part of her wanted to ask just how Regina intended to do that, but she held her tongue. "Can I call you later?"

"Emma, you may call me whenever you wish."

That only made her smile grow, and with the knowledge that she could look forward to their conversation all shift, she was finally able to end the call. "Okay, goodbye Regina."

"Goodbye Emma."

Emma slid her thumb across the screen, fixating on the ground to hide the large grin that lay eternally across her face. She didn't know who she was hiding it from, but it felt like the kind of smile you were supposed to hide - maybe even from yourself. The beginning kind of smile that came with pink blushes and extra heart beats.

Shaking her head, Emma bit her thumb gently and swiveled toward her bed, throwing on the white tank top. Even if Regina wouldn't see her, she thought she might just wear it in honor of her or something.

She made her way to Henry's room where he was lying on his stomach, blankets strewn all over the place, arms wrapped around his pillow. She hovered in the doorway for a moment before taking a few steps forward and squatting beside him. "Henry?" she whispered, running her hand through his soft brown hair.

"Hm?" he grunted, burying his face further in his pillow.

"I have to go to work."

"Mm."

"I'll call you later, kid."

This time there was nothing, and Emma knew he was asleep, which meant she could place a small kiss on his forehead and pull the covers back over him properly.

* * *

 

Emma arrived two minutes early thanks to the taxi driver and the unusually merciful state of the New York City roads. She was greeted by several nods before a boisterous "Swan!" reverberated through the station, and Eddy came running up to her from his desk, a large smile on his face as he slapped her on the forearm.

"Kurtzman!" she replied, punching him in the gut. "There better be a good reason for me to be here." Eddy rolled his eyes and started walking off without her. "Seriously," she insisted, chasing after him. "I'm missing my date for this."

That stopped him in his tracks, and he whirled around, now walking backwards so he could talk to his partner. "Second date?"

"Second date," she nodded.

"Woo!" he held up his hand, and Emma begrudgingly high-fived him despite the fact that she did feel quite proud of herself. "You know, you could have just extended the first date and had her spend the night."

"Seriously Eddy?" Emma shoved him lightly. "Is that all you ever think about?"

"Hey, I would have tapped that ass if she wasn't playing for your team."

"Jesus, Ed. First of all, there are no teams because if there were, all you straight people would be begging to switch sides. Second of all, no you would not have. Regina's too good for you."

"Ooh, defensive," he winked. "Look. I did you the favor of hooking you guys up. The least you can do is let me stare at her ass."

"Absolutely not." They had reached her desk now, and Eddy stopped, Emma reaching into her drawer and pulling out her gun. "If you so much as think about her ass, I'll shoot your dick off."

Her partner actually looked surprised by the threat but quickly recovered by reaching around Emma and handing her the stack of papers that lay on her desk. "That's just cruel. Now I'm not gonna try and talk the boss into letting you go. Have fun filing those witness reports."

And then he was gone, leaving Emma with a wink, a stack of papers, and a secret vow to remove Eddy's genitalia.

* * *

 

It was 11 by the time she was done, sinking into her chair with a bear claw. Yeah, it was a doughnut, and that was just so typical of cops or whatever the jokes said, but fuck it. She was hungry.

"Emma!" Her head snapped up when she heard her name from the front of the station. "You got somebody here for you."

Emma finished chewing and curiously stood up and walked her way through the maze of desks before coming face to face with Regina. She suddenly felt very exposed in her tank top, and her hands sunk into the crevices of her jean pockets as her jaw dropped slightly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, realizing immediately how hostile she sounded and hating herself.

"I came to see you. I - uh - it seems I can't stop thinking of you. And I reached the point where my thoughts could no longer satisfy me in the way that seeing you could."

Emma was quite certain she had never been this red, and before Eddy could see her behaving like a bubble-headed schoolgirl, she tugged Regina into the bathroom by her hand.

"Emma, what on Earth are you doing?" Regina asked, her eyes wide in confusion.

"Sorry, I just didn't want Eddy to see you. He's kind of - "

"A jackass," she offered to Emma's nod of agreement. "So why are you friends with him?"

"He saved my life," she shrugged casually. "Plus he kinda grows on you."

Regina shifted uneasily on her feet, her hands planted awkwardly at her sides. "So how long do you plan on us lingering in the bathroom?"

Emma laughed, taking a small step forward. "We can go now. You just - I wasn't prepared."

The brunette raised her eyebrows. "Prepared for what?"

The blonde had to take a minute to think how best she could phrase this. "I don't know," she muttered, her words blurring together. "You're just really beautiful and breathtaking, and I wasn't expecting to see you today, so I couldn't try to gain some sort of self-control before I turn all red like I am now."

Emma had never blurted out her feelings like that before. Hardly ever had she told anyone but Henry exactly what she felt aside from a few "I love you's" in the past. It was unbelievably mushy and all the things she hated about relationships. But Regina had worked it out of her without even trying, and she kind of liked it to her extreme confusion.

"I see," Regina took a step forward now, their bodies inches apart. Emma saw several brief flashes of hesitation in her eyes before there was a hand cupping her cheek. One baby step closer. "You are rather warm, dear."

 _What the hell is happening to me?! Get a grip, Swan!_ Emma thought as her eyes flickered slowly up and down Regina's features.

"What time are you done?" she whispered.

"20 minutes," she replied, her voice so quiet she could hardly hear it. Not that she needed to be loud. Regina was so close she could taste her breath.

"Well," Regina licked her lips, her tongue moving over that beautiful small lip scar, "you go back out there and finish whatever you need to finish." She took a pause, and Emma's hands wound of their own mind around Regina's waist. "And when you're done, we can go find out everything about each other. Then I can finally do what I've been wanting to do from the moment I stopped."

"Why wait?" Emma whispered back foolishly.

Regina's lips curved into a playful smile. "Now, now, Miss Swan, I don't want you to get angry with me. You were the one who said we had to take our time."

Her thoughts were so tangled up in one another, Emma no longer gave a damn what fell out of her mouth. Regina was so close, it was unbearable. "What if I said I don't care?"

"I'd know you were only saying those things rashly, dear. You need to let your brain make your decisions, instead of your..." There was another pause. She was coming closer, and then their hips were pressed together, and Regina's hands were gripping her waist. Her chocolate brown eyes disappeared and then Emma felt Regina's teeth close gently around her ear as she whispered, "instincts."

Her eyes shut instantly, and a small moan came quietly from her throat.

Regina stepped back looking quite proud of herself as Emma desperately tried to get some sort of control, her hands still wrapped tightly around the brunette's waist. "That's not fair," she mumbled at last.

"Oh, Emma, I never promised to be fair," she smiled. "Now go be professional for 19 minutes."

And with that, Emma was dismissed, turning around and walking out of the bathroom, her mind going way over the speed limit. She didn't know why she was so okay with this, with the way Regina made her feel. They hardly knew each other, despite the familiarity that lingered in every word and every eye movement. Maybe it was because she had gone so long without a physical relationship or maybe it was that Regina was literally a walking sexual fantasy. Whatever the reason, Emma knew she was in way over her head. And for the first time in her life, that was okay.

* * *

 

Regina sat patiently on the bench at the front of the station, waiting for Emma to be done with her shift and avoiding Snow's texts as long as she could. Finally, her phone incessantly vibrating ever other minute, she flipped it open.

_Where are you? Did you even come home last night?_

Rolling her eyes heavily, Regina began to reply.

**I'm out, trying to figure out where we can find Henry.**

She hit the send button quickly, and in less than 30 seconds, there was a reply.

_Be careful, Regina! Don't do anything stupid! I know you want to want to see your son, but we have to wait until they're ready._

Regina smiled knowingly to herself. If only Snow could see her now. If only she knew that she was less than 50 feet from her daughter, staring into her eyes as Emma's cheeks grew red, and her smile grew.

With a flick of her thumb, Regina turned her phone off and grabbed the edge of the bench with her fingertips as she glanced at the clock hanging from the wall. The minutes were ticking by quickly but not fast enough. She wanted, _needed_ , to know more about Emma and about their son. Eddy had only told her so much, choosing to focus most of his energy on getting her into bed. Not that he had succeeded, of course. Regina was a one woman kind of girl.

From what she knew, Emma had still grown up in the foster system, but instead of turning Henry away and leading a life of isolation, she had kept him, and they had lived happily together for eleven years. Emma became a police officer to create a sense of self-justification, at least that's what Eddy had said, and Regina didn't doubt it. But she thought that just maybe there might be other reasons Emma had chosen not to divulge to her partner. Regina would have to remember to ask. That was one of the many things she had compartmentalized in her list of questions. Several of them had to do with Henry: did he have any friends? girlfriends? what did he like to do? how were his grades? had Emma let him break any bones? did she have any videos from when he was younger? To her surprise, however, most of them revolved around Emma. As it turned out, Regina had never bothered to learn anything personal about her while they had spent so much time bickering in Storybrooke. A lot of them were basic questions you only asked when you wanted to get to know someone, but a few of them would prove challenging. Still, Regina wanted to know.

The thing was, now that she had found Emma again, it was like she had been given a second chance. She had never taken advantage of their time together, and she planned to make the most of every minute before she was forced to bring Snow and Charming into the equation. Thankfully, the idiot pirate hadn't found a way here on his own. That would create chaos for a few days. Regina only hoped she could sort it out.

She knew being here was selfish. Emma and Henry were happy without her, without the truth. And this Emma didn't look at her with eyes like fire, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. While Regina was developing a fondness for this Emma, she missed her Emma. But it was not her decision to reveal the truth, so this was what it would have to be. Regina hated how difficult it all was, how complex. But she had no intention to lose them. Not again.

She looked back up at Emma and waved playfully, smiling wider when the blonde turned red, laughed to herself, and focused much too intently on her desk. Eddy approached her after a moment, and the points in her direction lead Regina to assume they were talking about her. She was pleased to see they both seemed to be happy until suddenly Emma rolled her eyes, shoved him out of the way, and, coat in hand, walked straight for Regina, leaving a clearly confused Eddy behind.

Regina stood up instinctively. "What's going on?" she asked as Emma gripped her forearm and whirled her around, shaking her head.

"Eddy's a jackass," was all she said. "Let's get out of here."

Regina allowed Emma to lead her out of the building, still a bit shocked, but she waited until they were outside before repeating her question. "What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing," Emma continued to shake her head, running her hand through her gorgeous blonde hair. "He's just - he's really disgusting sometimes."

Regina nodded as she slowly began to understand. "You mean he flirts with you ... makes offensive comments."

They started walking down the street now, but Regina left her car parked in front of the station. "Not exactly," Emma hesitated, her eyes slowly flitting to and from the brunette.

Very slowly, her cheeks reddened and she felt embarrassment bubble inside her. "I see..."

Emma, clearly sensing the distress of her date, quickly added, "But it's okay. I told him to fuck himself, said if he wanted to date you, he'd have to get through me first." She bit her lip, and Regina nearly died. Emma was nervous, and it was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. "I mean, I know we've only seen each other once, so I know it's your choice, but I just - I got jealous." The last word was whispered as if it were a sin, and without even thinking about it, Regina slipped her fingers in between Emma's and held on for dear life.

"Thank you," she smiled before clarifying, "for defending me."

"You're welcome," the blonde smiled back, her grip on Regina's hand tightening.

The two women stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the cars to finish rushing past them, and Regina took a deep breath, held both of Emma's hands in hers and pulled her closer. "You know you don't have to be jealous, Emma."

"I don't?" she whispered.

"No," Regina looked right in her eyes and the world seemed to stop spinning for a moment. "I don't care what Eddy says about me."

Emma looked confused. "Are you sure? I mean, it's pretty disgusting stuff and - "

Regina placed a finger gently over her lips with a smirk. "I don't care what anyone thinks of me, except for you, and eventually your son. Nothing Eddy says is going to change my mind, make me something I'm not. I like women, Emma, and I really like you."

The blonde's eyes stayed still for a moment, locking on Regina's lips, but after a second, she pulled back with a small laugh and said, "Good. I'm still gonna kick his ass."

"Of course," Regina nodded sincerely. "I would have expected nothing else."

"What do you mean?" Emma raised an eyebrow. "You don't even know me. I could be into peace and diplomatic solutions."

"Well, I just assumed you were more of the "aggressive negotiations" type," she retorted with a wink as she tried to resume their walk.

Emma stopped her almost immediately, however. "Did you just Star Wars reference me?"

"Maybe," Regina shrugged casually, the smirk growing on her face, enjoying the disbelief written across Emma's face.

"You've - you've seen Star Wars?"

"Of course," Regina smiled. "All six of them." Admittedly, she had only done this because she knew Emma liked the movies, but that was a secret.

"Who's your favorite character?" the blonde asked, an excitement in her step now, and Regina grinned. She was actually a child.

"I like Darth Vader," Regina admitted.

"Okay, I can understand liking Anakin, but Vader did a whole bunch of horrible shit."

Regina had to hide the pain flashing in her eyes. "Yes, but he redeemed himself in the end. All he needed was someone to believe in him, and then he was good."

"He wasn't good. He killed millions of people, an entire planet. You don't just erase that because this one time you decided to be good."

They stopped walking, Regina staring deep into Emma's eyes now. "You really think that?" She had imagined Emma might feel this way as she hadn't had the same experiences, but it still hurt to hear it.

"I'm a cop; of course I think that." Emma crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "I don't trust people on their first chance, let alone their second. If I brought in a guy who had murdered millions of people, I would undoubtedly shoot him on the spot."

"What if he had a reason? What if he was manipulated or he changed? Would that matter to you?" Regina didn't raise her voice. She didn't need Emma to know anything she had done, but she was angry, and she was hurt.

"Look, in my job, you're a bad guy or you're a good guy. There is no in between, and I can't afford to think there might be. Maybe that sounds heartless, but if that's what I have to do to keep my son safe, then that's what I'm gonna do." She paused for a moment. "We are still talking about Star Wars, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Regina replied quietly. "I - uh - I have to go."

Immediately, Emma reached for her hand. "No, don't go. I'm sorry if I pissed you off. I didn't realize you were so passionate about your Sith Lords," she offered a half-smile, and Regina had to try her damnedest not to fall for it. "I can make it up to you, I swear."

The brunette's eyebrows rose curiously. "How would you do that?"

"However you would like," Emma grinned, "as long as you let me buy you dinner first. And this time, we eat where I want."

"Sounds fair." Regina's insides were churning. She knew exactly what she would like, her eyes glancing toward Emma's chest.

"All right then," Emma's hands had somehow worked their way back into Regina's, and she was now swinging them back and forth distractedly. "I need to go find somebody to watch Henry, but I'll pick you up at six?"

"I can drive to your house if you want," Regina protested. "You're buying dinner; it's the least I can do." _And I don't want your mother seeing you._

Emma rolled her eyes before they landed back on the brunette. "You're driving here whether I like it or not, aren't you?"

"Most likely."

"I should've known. Her Majesty does whatever she pleases." Yeah, Regina definitely knew what she would like. "I'll see you at six, then?"

"Not a minute later, Miss Swan." She gripped Emma's hands tighter and gently brought them up to her lips, lowering them slowly after a moment and forcing herself to pull away.

"Bye," Emma waved, her eyes looking very far away as she smiled.

"Bye," Regina grinned, waving back over her shoulder. Once she turned back around and started walking the other way, her happiness gradually began to simmer as she tried to forget what Emma had said. Yes, she was beautiful and brave and a lot of things that Emma was, but she wasn't Emma. And Regina needed Emma back.


End file.
